Universities are a good thing. The discussion has ben about university
programs that grant degrees in writing poetry.
You might want to look at John Demos, Entertaining Satan: Witchcraft and
the Cuture of Early New England. It's a detailed look at every witchcraft
prosecution in the region, which then included most of Long Island, except
for Salem, which, he makes the argument, is a special case and has at any
rate been reasearched to death. Demos' book is masterful--there are even
maps of property locations within towns, charting social stratification and
the relationships of accused and accusers who could often see each other
through the kitchen window.
Mark
At 03:50 PM 2/15/2005, mallin1 wrote:
>Hi. I've been in conversation with local historian Ivan Bunn. Ivan has no
>formal qualifications - yet he co-wrote an important book, 'A Trial of
>Witches' (Routledge,1997) with the veteran Emeritus Professor in the Dept.
>of Criminology, University of California, Gilbert Geis.
>
>The 1662 trial of Lowestoft "witches" Amy Denny and Rose Cullender,
>resulting in their hanging, was 'cited' in the Salem witch trials thirty
>years later.
>
>I've used some of the details of evidence in this book to inform my own
>work. Without the academic knowledge and analysis of Geis, Ivan Bunn's
>research would surely be consigned to our local record office; without
>Bunn's local knowledge, Geis could not have grappled with such local detail
>from afar.
>
>However one looks at it - in whatever discipline - academia is so
>important - and as important is a relationship between academic study with
>the world beyond. It should be, as once described, a liberal and open
>education - and I so wish the UK would actually live up to its promise of
>'life long learning.'
>
>And I much agree with cris:
>
>If i was dictator for the day i'd say that nobody could go on
>to University until they were in their early twenties and had done at
>least something else for a few years. My own best educational
>experience ever was as a student on an access course at Lowestoft College in
>a large group of mature students of all ages from all walks of life -
>brilliant and feisty conversations.
>
>Best, Rupert
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